This invention is directed to an electrolysis hair removal apparatus including an indication circuit and, in particular, to an electronic hair removal apparatus including an indication circuit for indicating when the stylet is disposed in contact with a papilla to effect destruction of same, and for further indicating the duration of time required to complete the destruction of the papilla.
In theory, electrolysis hair removal operations have been designed to destroy the papilla (bulb) which is located within the skin's pore. Each hair in the human body grows from a papilla which is living tissue at the end of each hair. Moreover, sweat glands surround the papilla within the pore and keep the papilla moist.
In the past, electrolysis hair removal devices have operated by effecting a two part operation. The first part is the electrolysis of salt that is produced by the sweat glands. Specifically, by electrolyzing the salt (sodium chloride, Na.sup.+ Cl.sup.-) into lye (sodium hydroxide, Na.sup.+ OH.sup.-). The lye then dissolves the hair and allows the removal of same without destruction of the papilla. It is noted, however, that if the papilla is disrupted during this operation, the growth of a plurality of hairs or hair that is of a more coarse texture will likely result. The second part of the hair removal process is known as electrocoagulation (electrodenaturing) of the small blood vessels which feed the papilla. Electrocoagulation is utilized to cut off the blood flow to the papilla and kill same, thereby impeding the growth of hair. Because the papilla is the only part of the hair that grows, once it is coagulated, the hair growing therefrom can then be removed by a tweezer.
Heretofore, the simplest to operate and least expensive to manufacture electrolysis device was disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,405 (Tapper). The Tapper device is no more than a probe including a spring loaded stylet, a conductive probe handle and an insulator disposed intermediate the stylet and the probe handle in order to insure insulation therebetween. In the commercial verson of the Tapper device, the negative terminal of a DC battery is coupled to the stylet and the positive terminal of the battery is coupled to the probe. In accordance with the foregoing description of the theory of hair removal, the stylet is inserted into the pore and upon being positioned substantially in contact with the papilla, performs the electrolysis of the salt and the electrocoagulation discussed above.
It is noted, however, that in order to properly perform the electrolysis of salt and electrocoagulation required to successfully effect hair removal, the probe and, in particular, the sytlet thereof must be properly positioned. Improper positioning of the probe can result in a treatment which has the final result of an increase in the growth of hair or in a treatment which causes trauma and injury to the person being treated. For this reason, the positioning of the probe has been the domain of electrolysis operators which many States require to be licensed. This is particularly the case in the Tapper device because of the spring loading of the stylet. Specifically, if the stylet of the Tapper device is placed in contact with the skin, near the base of the hair canal, as the area around the stylet coagulates, the spring biasing pressure on the stylet can break the skin and thereby cause bleeding.
A second problem with the Tapper device and those of its genre is that the electrolysis operation performed thereby must be limited to a certain period of time, such as forty-five seconds, resulting in two distinct disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that a person attempting to operate the Tapper device on his own or, alternatively, a trained operator, must concentrate on positioning the stylet in the pore, in contact with the papilla and, yet, simultaneously monitor the time of the electrolysis operation. Optimally positioning the stylet in contact with the papilla during the entire electrolysis operation is sufficiently difficult even without having to divert the operator's attention to a timing device. Also, while such timing takes place, the electrolysis operator cannot be certain that the stylet is in optimum contact with the papilla. Both of these disadvantages render the Tapper device less than completely satisfactory. The instant invention is, therefore, characterized by an electrolysis hair removal apparatus that can eliminate the above noted disadvantages.